Headrest for coffins



Jan. 19, 1932. M. E. OVERSTREET 1,341,345

HEADREST FOR COFFINS Filed June 6, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ,M nfe Z- flremirag ATTORNEYQ Jan. 19, 1932. M. E. OVERSTREET HEADREST FOR COFFINS Filed June 6, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 iNVENTOR Mania Z Orem ire-e3 ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 19, 1932 MONTE E. OVERSTREET, OF CHEROKEE, OKLAHOMA HEADREST non conrnvs Application filed June 6, 1929. Serial No. 368,848.

This invention relates to improvements in coifins, and more especially to a head rest or combined head rest and body rest for coffins.

Coflins as generally manufactured at the present time, are provided with a head rest which elevates the head portion of the cada- Ver in such a way that the ridge line of the nose extends along the longitudinalvertical medial plane of the coffin, so that the profile of the face is accentuated. A corpse appears much better when not presenting a profile, hence the primary object of this invention is not only to raise the head and upper part of the cadaver, but to cant them over slightly toward the side from which the corpse is viewed. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide a combination rest which will cant the head portion only of the cadaver, or where desired, will cant both the head portion and the upper portion of the body.

WVith the foregoing objects outlined and with other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a cofiin pro vided with my improved combination rest.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View of the same.

3 is a perspective view of the rest.

Fig. i is an end elevation of the same.

In the drawings, 5 indicates-a cofiin of any desired construction having a bottom 6. My combination rest may be attached directly to the bottom, as shown in Fig. 1, or to a false bottom 7, as shown in Figs. 2 to 4 inclusive. If a false bottom is used, then the device may be sold as an attachment, so thatit may be readily inserted in various types of cofiins.

The combined rest comprises a short arm 8 and a longer arm 9, that are pivotally connected to the bottom by means of hinges and 11. The hinge'lO may be of the ordinary leaf type, for the arm 8 swings upwardly and downwardly in a substantially vertical plane, while the hinge 11 must be of special construction to permit the arm 9 to cant, as well as swing vertically. The hinge 11 may be of any suitable construction, but I prefer to employ the simple inexpensive construction illustrated in the drawings. This consists of a screw-eye 12, which is screwed into one end of the arm .9, and it engages a screw hook 13, that is screwed into the bottom or false bottom of the coiiin. At this point it will be noted thatthe hinges 10 and 11 are spaced longitudinally of the coffin to obtain the canting effect heretofore mentioned. v

A cross bar 14 is rigidly secured to the free end of the arm 11 by any suitable means, and the upper end of the long arm 9 is pivotally connected to the cross bar, by any suitable means, such as a strap hinge 15, which joins the inner edge 16 of the arm 9 to the upper surface of the cross bar, so as to allow canting of the arm 9.

The cross bar 14: may be supported in a position elevated above the bottom by any suitable means. For example, an adjustable sup-l port 17 is admirably adapted for this purpose. Such support includes an ear depending from the cross bar and connected by a pivot pin 19 to a notched leg 20, any one of the notches of which may interlock with a finger 21 that projects upwardly from a plate 22 thatfis fixedly secured to the bottom or false bottom of the casket.

F or the purpose of canting the arm 9 and holding the same at various angles relatively to the cross bar let, a supporting leg 23 is pivotally connected at 2a to the under side of the arm 9 near the outer edge of the latter, and the lower end of this leg may impinge at various points upon the bottom or false bottom of the coffin, in order to hold the arm 9 in various canted positions. Of course, where it is unnecessary to raise the outer edge of the arm 9 relatively to its inner edge, the leg 23 may be simply swung out of supporting position, so that the upper end portion of the arm will lie flat upon the cross bar 14, but even under such circumstances, a canted support is provided, due to the fact that the hinges 10 and 11 are spaced, different (11S- tances from the cross bar 14, and the arm 9 is of greater length than the arm 8.

From Fig. 4. the use and advantages of the invention will be obvious, although it may be stated that the canting here is exaggerated to make the invention apparent from an inspection of the drawings. As occupied coffins are usually viewed from one side only, it will be apparent that I have provided simple, inexpensive means which will improve the resentation of the cadaver, and will eliminate the objectionable accentuation of the profile.

The terms and expressions employed herein are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions. of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described, or portions thereof, but it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a cofiiu, a head rest including an ele vated cross bar, arms of different lengths pivotally connected to the bottom portion of the coffin and having certain of their ends supported by said cross bar, and means for supporting the cross bar at various elevations,

whereby a cadaver is canted transversely when placed in the cofiin.

2. In a cofiin, a canted head rest compris ing a cross member supported at an elevation above the bottom of the coffin, side members of difi'erent lengths having certain of their ends su ported by the cross member, and their at er ends supported by the bottom of the coflin, and means for holding one of said side members in a canted position transverse- 1y of the coffin.

3. In a coflin, a canted head rest including side members pivotally connected to the bottom portion of the cotiin, the point of pivoting of one of said members being nearer to the head end of the coflin than the point of pivoting of the other side member, a cross member supporting the opposite end portions of the side members, and means supporting the cross member at an elevation above the bottom of the coflin, whereby a cadaver is canted transversely when placed in the coflin.

4. In a cofiin, a head rest including a short arm having a lower end hingedly connected to the bottom of the cofiin, an elevated cross bar secured to the opposite end of said arm,

a long arm hingedly connected to the cross bar and to the bottom of the coflin, and means for holding the long arm in a position canted transversely of the cofiin.

5. In a coflin, a crrxss bar arranged above the bottom of the cofiin, means for adjustably supporting the cross bar at various elevations, a short arm hinged at one end to the bottom of the coffin, and secured at its opposite end to the cross bar, a long arm having one of its ends hingedly connected to the cross bar, and its opposite end pivotally connected to the bottom of the cofiin, and means for adjustably canting the long arm transversely of the cofiin.

6. A head rest for coffins, comprising side members inclined at difierent angles to a horizontal plane, a cross member connecting the side members and inclined lengthwise toward said horizontal plane, whereby a cadaver is canted transversely when placed in the cofiin.

7. A head rest for coflins, comprising side members inclined at different angles to a horizontal plane, a cross member connecting the side members and inclined lengthwise toward said horizontal plane, and means for supporting one of said side members at an angle relatively to the cross member.

8. A head rest for cofiins, comprising a supporting surface. long and short inclined arms having their lower ends pivotally connected to the supporting surface, an inclined cross bar to which the upper end of the short arm is connected, means hingedly connecting the upper end of the long arm to said cross bar, and means for adjustable supporting the cross bar at various elevations relatively to said supporting surface.

In tcstimon y whereof I aflix my signature.

MONTE E. OVERSTREET. 

